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Sergeant vs first sergeant

The differences between sergeants and first sergeants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first sergeant has an average salary of $98,755, which is higher than the $48,557 average annual salary of a sergeant.

The top three skills for a sergeant include safety procedures, patrol and direct supervision. The most important skills for a first sergeant are personnel actions, professional development, and general supervision.

Sergeant vs first sergeant overview

SergeantFirst Sergeant
Yearly salary$48,557$98,755
Hourly rate$23.34$47.48
Growth rate-10%-
Number of jobs79,3352,487
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age4646
Years of experience--

Sergeant vs first sergeant salary

Sergeants and first sergeants have different pay scales, as shown below.

SergeantFirst Sergeant
Average salary$48,557$98,755
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $66,000Between $70,000 And $138,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateNew York-
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New York-
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between sergeant and first sergeant education

There are a few differences between a sergeant and a first sergeant in terms of educational background:

SergeantFirst Sergeant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeBusiness
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University

Sergeant vs first sergeant demographics

Here are the differences between sergeants' and first sergeants' demographics:

SergeantFirst Sergeant
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 85.0% Female, 15.0%Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between sergeant and first sergeant duties and responsibilities

Sergeant example responsibilities.

  • Manage critical incidents including barricade gunmen, VIP visits, homicides, shootings and in-progress crimes.
  • Manage and submit all schedules for maximum security unit, and all non security staff assign to that unit.
  • Monitor and manage enlisted promotion boards and actions; publish promotion orders for soldiers being promote to SGT and SSG.
  • Assist in establishing overall S3 objectives and accomplishing assign missions.
  • Manage training for CBRN response operations including detection and decontamination equipment.
  • Implement USAF, DoD and MAJCOM security policies while balancing operational needs with security requirements for the protection of classify information.
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First sergeant example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and manage the refit and reset of the unit upon redeployment.
  • Manage food, water, ammunition, and equipment for the squad and ensure everyone ration accordingly.
  • Demonstrate unparalleled proficiency in managing operations and administrative requirements in a combat environment, with superior technical and tactical adeptness.
  • Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
  • Use PowerPoint to create briefs and training slides.
  • Develop a full training program in accordance with USAF protocols.
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Sergeant vs first sergeant skills

Common sergeant skills
  • Safety Procedures, 16%
  • Patrol, 14%
  • Direct Supervision, 9%
  • Emergency Situations, 7%
  • Combat, 6%
  • CPR, 5%
Common first sergeant skills
  • Personnel Actions, 20%
  • Professional Development, 11%
  • General Supervision, 7%
  • Combat, 7%
  • Logistical Support, 6%
  • Personnel Accountability, 5%

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